All posts filed under: Side Dishes

New Years Day, dinner. For us Japanese, New Year’s celebration is a traditional event, most likely THE important day of the year in which we celebrate the day with ‘traditional Japanese osechi’. If anyone of the readers are curious of what ‘osechi is?’, many sites will explain the meaning of some of the osechi dishes. This year I decided to venture out from the tradition to a somewhat non-tradtional ‘washoku cuisine’ to something which I call it ‘multi-cultured washoku’.

Spring seems just around the corner. Early morning walk with the our little doggie becomes warmer as days pass, turning to a daily check up on the ‘cherry blossoms’ which grow along the riverbed. Day by day, one by one, each buds start to revive from hibernation, some at the verge to blossom, some yet asleep. Few more warm days will awaken everyone single bud, the entire tree transforming into to fully flowered tree, the cheery blossom tree, a one of a kind. Spring brings about seasonal foods – speciality such as the ‘wild vegetables’, ‘firefly squid’, ‘sea clams’, etc.etc. to our Japanese food table, most all of spring foods come with either a strong scent or a strong energy, a strength of life. Some below to see the authenticity of ‘Spring’ Japanese food. 春まじか。 早朝のワンコの散歩も日に日に暖かくなり、神田川沿いの散歩道は桜の開花チェックに変わっていきます。東京では開花宣言が確か23日に出されましたがここ家の周辺ではまだつぼみは堅く、まだ一週間は桜を楽しめそうな年になりそうです。桜の種類によっては開花している木もありますがソメイヨシノはまだ。地面に近いつぼみや幹のつぼみは開花をしていますが川にしだれる枝はまだ。楽しみです。 さて、春に入ると食材が変わってきました。 フキのとう、セリ、、「苦み」の多い食材が増えてきます。冬の食材から少し彩りがもどり春の食材を少しずつ楽しんでいます。 春に入ってからの我が家の食卓です。 Mix Rice with Firefly Squid and Seri (Japanese Parsley) | ほたるイカとセリの炊き込みご飯 Seafood Paella | パエリア (Linked to Recipe) a Typical Japanese Household Dinner 追伸 : ちなみにニシンは今年は豊作の年らしいです。北海道で昔のように水揚げされているらい。 保存 保存

It’s been a while blogging… I’ve been quite disturbed over the past month or so, to admit that the US Presidential Election has kept me unfocused on the everyday things which I normally would do. Although I no longer live in California, I’ve spend a good 15 plus years in the States and the unexpected outcome of the election has kept me to feel the pain of my Californian friends, their disappointment, fear and above all what to expect come January 20th 2017. The outcome, not much we can all do except move forward and the words of President Obama told his daughters are quite comforting to console our hearts as well. だいぶご無沙汰してしまったブログです。 ちょっと習慣が抜けるとついつい。 その内アメリカの大統領選が始まり、長年カリフォルニアに在住していた私とはやはり気になるゆくえでした。まさかの、まさかの勝利。さすがに落ち込みました。まさかが起きるアメリカではありますが、、あってはいけない結果だった様な気がします。 アメリカにまだ住んでいる友達の事を思うと気は落ち着かず（今でもですが、、）トランプ時期大統領のニュースばかり追ってしまいます。 しかし、オバマ大統領が娘たちに言った言葉という記事を読み少し心が落ち着きました。英語の記事ですがご興味のあるかたは是非。 ブログをお休み中にはInstagramでアップした画像を中心に今日は書き下ろしていきます。 So here are some of Dinner Menus which has been uploaded through my Instagram. Wild natural Nameko (Mushroom) from my sister used for Nameko and Watercress Hot Pot 天然なめことクレソン鍋 The nameko is a mushroom with a slippery gelatinous coating. It is quite often used for miso soup but when it comes as natural as what may sister …

Sanma (Pacific Saury) is an iconic fish which states the arrival of autumn in our country. With the effect of global warming and the increased (extreme) volume of catch from our neighboring countries, the Pacific Saury has started to grow sparse over the last few years and sooner or later, I think restrictions will be applied to the catch of Sanma.

We are in the middle of a BAMBOO SEASON, which, I am a pure addict to bamboo shoots. To be honest, I often wonder why? I am such a bamboo addict, a wild vegetable which does not have a strong distinctive taste nor flavor. The subtle flavor and the texture is probably what drives my addiction. (maybe…?) So here are some of my daily bamboo shoots side dishes, we call osouzai in Japanese. 今年はタケコノが比較的豊作の様な気がします。 ゴールデンウィーク前に早々に千葉産、京都産、鹿児島産、西日本産といろいろな地方のタケノコに手を出して日々タケノコが出ない日はないという位、、『タケノコ中毒』の我家です。 どれも和食の定番ですが『筍づくし』の料理、、どうぞ。 Osouzai@Bamboo Shoots with white miso and sanshou 2 bamboo shoots 1/2 cup or handful of rice bran (nuka) 20 sansho leaves (Japanese Pepper) 3 tablespoon white miso 1.5 tablespoon sugar 3 tablespoon sake <Preparing the Bamboo Shoots> Wash off the mud and soil from the bamboo shoots. Peel 2~3 sheets of the hard outer skin. Trim the top (the hard outer skin) at a 45 degree angle and bring to boil in a large boiling pan with handful of rice bran (nuka). Boil for approximately 50~60 minutes for a medium size bamboo shoot and let it cool …

Spring has arrived here in Tokyo. The cherry blossoms, ‘sakura’ were in full bloom last week; all feathered away from from the strong wind and rain just few days ago. The ‘sakura’ never lasts so long, thus we cherish and value the blossoming of the cherry blossoms every year.

Since and after my gallbladder removal surgery (last November 2015), my ability to digest oil has drastically decreased. It may sound good for dietary purposes and to stay slim but at times limits my creativity to cook, especially the cooking process at times is important to obtain the best taste and results. So….although ‘steaming’ has had been my one of my favorite cooking methods this is another dim sum which is quick easy and tasty on a dinner table for an appetizer. I have used chicken mince meat but if you prefer the more oily meat, go for the pork. Although I love pork, pork is yet quite tricky on my body at the moment so I have used chicken meat instead of pork. (by the way…most dim sums use pork meat) 胆嚢の摘出手術から数ヶ月がたちましたが『油』の摂取能力が上がらず。ダイエットを考えると悪くはない話？と思うかもしれませんが調理方法に制限が出るのは時々料理のクリエイティビィティに左右され時々、、う、う、う、ストレスにもなります。 『蒸し料理』は昔から好きだったの、、また蒸し器を取り出してあっさり飲茶の一品です。 『紅白もち米』で実はおめでたい食卓にも適する一品です。 Sticky Rice Meatball Dim Sums | もち米シュウマイ 1 cup Sticky Rice Tofu (1/2) (To drain water from the tofu – wrap it with paper towel and heat it in the microwave oven. Water will start to ooze out from …

‘Twice cooking method’ is a way which I often use for frying fish and seafood. I’ve never tried it on ‘oysters’ but often with small fish like horse mackerel which by cooking (frying) it twice enables the bones to soften yet retaining the crispness of the fish. So applied to ‘oysters’ which come plump and big during the cold winter seasons in Japan. This cooking application was introduced through one of my favorite TV programs called ‘Tameshite Gatten (NHK broadcast)’. This program explores the unexpected cooking avenues, the non-norm way of thinking turning food into the most amazing tastes. It’s a great program but unfortunately all in Japanese, what a pity! 『牡蠣の二度揚げ』レシピ。 またもや、、大好きな番組の一つ『ためしてガッテン』で放送された牡蠣の処理にシリーズをやってみました。二度揚げ手法はよく小アジや小魚でやりますが牡蠣をやったのは初めて。中はムチムチ、外側はカリカリ。とっても美味に仕上がりますよ。揚げる前に牡蠣を８分ほど塩茹しますが味が牡蠣の身が凝縮され美味しく仕上がります。 加熱用の牡蠣がとっても美味しいこの時期。 是非お試しあ〜れ。 Twice Cooked Oyster | 【牡蠣のから揚げ】二度揚げ 200g Large Oysters Potato Starch 150ml Water 1 tsp Salt Pepper Clean the oysters with potato starch. (Add about 1 tablespoon of potato starch and mix well with the oysters. Drain off the potato starch.) Combine the water with salt, together with the oysters and bring to boil for about 8 …